


What It Means To Be Alone

by AshWinterGray



Series: The Alone Series [2]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: A Virus, And Some Attacks, F/M, Mind-Flayer, Rating is for the Deaths, demodogs, people die, the others are mentioned - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 06:17:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17278649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshWinterGray/pseuds/AshWinterGray
Summary: With Doctor Brenner dead, it becomes clear that the old Doc had been busy. Especially when monsters begin to kill people around Hawkins. The original team of monster hunters is long since moved on and out of Hawkins. Mostly. With his kids and friends, Steve forms a new team of monster hunters in a desperate attempt to stop the Mind-Flayer once more. With no way to contact the others, Steve feels utterly alone. Until he realizes he has others with him. Many friends lose their lives, but they keep fighting. And maybe they get a happy ending. Maybe. But how can things be happy when they lose those you love.





	What It Means To Be Alone

            Steve was, without a doubt, getting stronger as he had been mentally driven insane. About a year had passed since the incident, and Steve had several people getting him back on his feet. Carol and Tommy were his two best friends now, as they had been in high school. A new friend, Kaya, was also watching over him. Karen Wheeler had turned her motherly hand to his aid, and a new gaggle of kids followed him. Steve had even bought himself a house where he took in three new friends.

            Casey, an orphaned girl living on the streets was one such person he adopted. The other was a little boy just turning two named Twelve, though everyone called him Lev. The third newest resident was much like Lev, but more around Steve’s age. She was Seven, though Steve often called her Sev. The secret behind those two specific members of Steve’s house were known only to a few, including Doctor Owens.

            The rest of the Monster Hunting Party had moved on, though. Nancy and Jonathan had gone off to college nearly five years ago, and just a year ago saw the six kids following in the older two’s footsteps. Hopper had moved out to Chicago on a promotion and Joyce had moved to Maine per Bob Newby’s dying wish. Steve had been utterly alone when Lev and Seven were placed in his care. But he wasn’t entirely alone as certain people knew.

            His residents knew, of course, but Tommy and Carol had come to learn of the Upside Down and Brenner’s work. Kaya had too, as well as Karen Wheeler. Even Steve’s newest kids, Holly Wheeler, Erica Sinclair, and Shawn Hanks, knew of the terrible secret that had nearly taken their small town.

            So as Steve was putting groceries into his car with Casey and Lev as Karen and Holly were walking to their own car with a buggy, Steve was a little too ready for the attack that came.

            The scream from both women came first, and it was quickly followed by the screams of people in the parking lot. Steve’s eyes widened in terror for just a second as he watched a Demodog knock over the cart, spilling the Wheeler’s groceries all over the place. The next second saw Steve knocking the creature away from the two Wheeler girls and wailing on it with the nail bat.

            “Steve!” Casey screamed at him. “It’s dead! Come on!”

            Steve practically dragged both women to his car as he screamed at the crowd to find shelter. With Three kids crammed into the back of his car, and Mrs. Wheeler hyperventilating in the passenger seat, Steve made for his old apartment first.

            “Stay here,” he instructed Karen and the kids. “You don’t open these doors for anything but me, Tommy, Carol, and Kaya. Got it?”

            With three nods given and a laugh from the two year old, Steve was booking it into the apartment. There were Demodogs _everywhere._

            “Kaya!” Steve screamed out. “Carol! Tommy! Come on!”

            “Steve!” Carol gasped, launching over the stair railing and into Steve’s arms.

            Tommy and Kaya joined them seconds later, and Kaya looked extremely lethal with a frying metal skillet. They took both cars, knowing they needed to pick up other people too. The next stop, as Steve insisted, was his house. He had to get Seven out of there. Even with her powers, she could only hold off the creatures for so long.

            To his surprise, and horror, the Sinclair’s and the Hanks’ were there with Seven, being protected by her gifts. It became an awkward shuffle of fitting people into five people cars, but Steve was off to the police station with his group and Tommy right behind with his.

            “I was right!” a man stood on his car as he shot bullets at Demodogs from the back of his truck. “Eat it you suckers! I was right! This is totally aliens!”

            “They’re other dimensional beasts, you moron!” Steve screamed at the man and dragged him off the truck. “Now come on!”

            If Hopper had still been around, Steve would have down right kissed him. Hopper had made sure that the sheriff’s office would be a place to hunker down in case thing got out of hand with the Upside Down. It was one of a few places Hopper had managed to prepare in case the Gate ever opened again.

            “What is going on, Harrington?” Chief Powell demanded as the group raced into the office.

            “Usher as many people inside as you can,” Steve stated quickly as he began locking the windows and pulling down metal shutters. “Aim for their mouths. And whatever you do, don’t bleed.”

            Steve then made his way to a radio Hopper had hooked up around town. It would deliver messages to strategically placed radios letting people know what buildings were safe and how to lock them down. The library, a specific store Hopper frequented, a bar just in the center of town, The Hawk, and even Benny’s were a few of the places Steve knew to be safe houses. He just had to play the recording.

            Taking a breath, Steve tried to remember what Hopper had taught him.

\-----------------------

            It was nearing midnight when Steve realized the creatures had stopped attacking, and that scared Steve more than anything. They had only ever attacked at night in the past. So, he was wide awake, trying to write down everything he ever remembered the kids saying about the Mind-Flayer and its army.

            _Likes Blood- Don’t Bleed_

_Liked to Attack at Night_

_Hive Mind- Attack as One_

_Not Afraid to Possess_

_Hates Fire and Heat_

_Likes it Cold_

            The list was not helping at all. In fact, the list only seemed to serve the purpose of stressing Steve out more. _Like a virus,_ was quickly added to the list too. And if Steve remembered his health class right, then a virus was something that changed and morphed into something worse, fighting against the medicine meant to get rid of it. Steve feared that the Mind-Flayer had used these last five years to become something different.

            Then the sound of vehicles roared outside as the night waned on. Steve had a feeling he knew who they were. He lifted one of the metal shutters and glanced out, a breath of relief at what he saw.

            “Steve?” Erica called out as Steve began to unbarricade the door.

            “More people,” Steve hummed softly as everyone else began to stir. “Hopefully we can work out something to stop this.”

            Steve had never been so happy to see Doctor Owens. Well, maybe that time Doctor Owens saved his life last year, but he wasn’t counting that because Doctor Owens didn’t technically save his life. The army he brought was nice too.

            “It attacked during the day?” Doctor Owens questioned as they talked over the events of the day.

            “And stopped at night,” Steve nodded back, staring at a spot on the floor.

            Doctor Owens sighed as he looked over the ever growing list Steve had made.

            “I’m sorry to say this,” Doctor Owens muttered. “But is there no way to contact the others.”

            Steve shook his head.

\------------- Five Years Prior -----------

            _“So, what now?” Nancy asked._

_The Monster Hunting Party were making smores around a campfire at the Byers house. Will liked it when things were warm or hot, and it had become a habit for someone to be with Will to make sure he was okay. And at least warm. This was one of the times when they were all free to be together._

_“What do you mean?” Dustin frowned from where he was tucked into Steve’s side. Max was on Steve’s other side, but she gripped Lucas’ hand. They were all huddled as close as they could be around the fire._

_“Now that this is really over?” Nancy pressed. “How do we move on?”_

_“Leave Hawkins,” Mike muttered out._

_If they hadn’t been so close, none of them would have heard. But they did._

_“Leave Hawkins?” Will questioned. “Really?”_

_“Not now,” Mike shook his head with a frown. “But one day. We pack up, go to college, move away, and forget everything. Well, not forget. You know, just move on. Stay in touch, but we cut all ties with everyone still in Hawkins.”_

_“Then we could really move on,” Dustin grinned, looking at Will. “You know? Put it all behind us.”_

_The murmurs of agreement passed most people’s lips._

\---------------- Present -------------

            “No,” Steve verbalized. “I’m sorry. There won’t be a single person here with a link to the others.”

            Doctor Owens sighed again. “We don’t have time to find them either.”

            No they didn’t.

            “Hopper made the safe houses,” Steve hummed, motioning to a metal shutter. “The library is the largest one.”

            “I guess the first thing would be to wrangle civilians,” Doctor Owens hummed.

            “How much longer till dawn?” Steve asked firmly.

            Doctor Owens glanced at his wrist watch. “Three hours.”

            Steve nodded, and he started to usher everyone to the jeeps and the vans that waited outside. It was slow, a five minute drive taking nearly thirty minutes, but Steve was walking alongside the tanks, and vans, and trucks as they tried to pick up those who might still be alive on their path.

            They had to leave the dead. They couldn’t afford the extra weight, and they didn’t have the time to bury them either.

            Steve was glad he had the keys for the library. It was like a breath of relief as people got reunited with their families. For three days, they had a routine. Try to stay hidden and alive during the day, send a team out to find survivors at night. By the third day, it became clear that they had saved everyone they could, and they were simply scouring for food.

            Steve, Officer Callahan, Chief Powell, and three soldiers were raiding Melvald’s when it happened. They hadn’t attacked during the night, but Steve should have expected it. Callahan pushed him out of the way, and Steve screamed as it tore into the police officer that Steve had gotten to know over the last five years. Two of the officers held Steve and Powell back as the third opened fire. Steve, Powell, and the two soldiers that manhandled them were the only four of their group to make it back.

            Steve had blacked out for most of it, lost in grief and rage. The soldiers claimed that Steve had been the one to wail into the Demodogs, getting them all back safely. Steve let himself sink into Karen’s arms as he sobbed out.

\---------------------------

            Murray Bauman was a complete lunatic, but they needed that right now. He spent the first few days drinking old scotch he had stored in flasks in his pockets and pouring his mind over Steve’s ever growing list of notes on the Upside Down.

            “So we can’t get El,” Murray announced to the group of people as he stood on the librarian’s desk. “But we haven’t lost all hope yet.”

            “Please enlighten us,” Chief Powell scowled. “I’d _love_ to know what’s going on.”

            Bauman ignored Powell, jumped off the desk, and threw an arm around Steve. “What do we know about El’s past. Because I am betting, you know, that those two over there can help?”

            “No,” Steve shook his head. “Seven doesn’t even talk, and Lev is two, I will not force them to close a portal when it could kill them.”

            “I figured you’d say that,” Bauman grinned at Steve. “Which is why I have considered a third option.”

            Bauman wanted them to find El’s mother. Which, after some research and a word from Doctor Owens, wasn’t a bad idea.

            Owens did not approve of Steve’s team, but with their current track record, he couldn’t argue. Neither could Steve. He very rarely had a say in most things, just got dragged into them. Erica teased him for it.

            So here he was, in the back of Bauman’s truck with Tommy, Carol, Kaya, Seven, Erica, Shawn, Holly, Casey, and Lev in the bed with him. Karen was up front with Bauman. The kids had managed to sneak out, and Steve had spent time chastising them about being like their siblings and related friends. Erica just gave a smug smile and said she was better. Bauman was telling a very interesting story about how Nancy and Jonathan spent a night and a day at his house. Once more, they were traveling at night, and Steve had his bat ready. They didn’t encounter any Demodogs on the way to the house, but Steve feared the ride back.

            As they drove in silence, Steve wished, not for the first time, that the others were here too.

            The Ives sisters lived just outside of the range of Demodogs, or so it seemed, as they approached the house. Becky had absolutely no idea about the monsters until Bauman revealed the one he had hidden in his truck. Steve had been leaning against that cooler too. Terry Ives seemed like a lost cause until Steve realized something.

            Something was holding back the Demodogs. Terry Ives was holding them back.

            The problem with Terry Ives holding back the Demodogs was that she hadn’t slept in four days, and the moment Steve realized this, Terry fell asleep. Bat at the ready, the group watched as a swarm of Demodogs rushed the house. They managed to make it to the car, but there was no way they could out drive the creatures.

            Kaya died that day. She made Murray drive off, telling them all not to be idiots, and then used a lighter and hairspray to fight off as many as she could. Steve just barely caught a Demodog biting into her arm before she lit herself on fire. Many Demodogs died that day, but so did Kaya. That was two people Steve cared about gone.

            In an odd turn of events, they made it back to the library in one piece. But Lev had to use his powers to buy them more time, and it caused the little boy to fall unconscious. He just hoped Terry Ives could save them.

\--------------------------

            They waited two days for Terry Ives to wake-up, though no one could blame her when they heard the poor woman’s story. Becky said that Terry was only peaceful in sleep. Seven didn’t believe that was true, but she only told Steve that. Supply runs were still a thing, and this time, it was three soldiers, Tommy, Carol, Steve, and Seven.

            Steve and Seven were across the street in one store while Tommy and Carol were in another. The soldiers were walking the street between the two buildings. It was a wonder none of them heard the Demodogs until Carol screamed.

            It had tried to attack her, but Tommy got in its way. He had a nasty bite mark on his left arm that was pouring out blood as he tried to wrestle the Demodog on top of him. Carol had tried to beat it but wasn’t strong enough to knock it off. Seven was. She threw it off with her mind and blew away the other monsters. It was the first time she had used her powers since being freed, and it clearly let something loose in the otherwise quite girl.

            “Come on,” Seven motioned as Carol and Steve carried Tommy.

            They made it back to the library where Tommy was given immediate medical attention. He was completely high, but Tommy asked Carol to marry him. She broke down sobbing the minute he asked.

            Terry Ives woke up not long later.

\---------------------------

            They were on their way to the gate when they got attacked. Seven wasn’t with them at the time, just Terry Ives, several soldiers, and Steve. They fought tooth and nail to keep Terry safe, but there was only so much they could do. One of them attacked Steve, ripping it’s claws along Steve’s chest. He knew he was going to die, and part of him believed he deserved it.

            Then it was flung of his chest, wracking it’s nails further across his chest before it was flung off. He was conscious for the rest of it. He felt the pain, but he couldn’t quite seem to pass out. He watched Seven and two soldiers kneel by his side. He watched as Terry Ives suddenly stood up. And he felt two things happen at once.

            The first was Seven’s anger taking over as she turned to where the Mind-Flayer was visible from the other side of the gate. He could practically feel the hidden power radiating from inside her as she let it out in one, defining scream. The Mind-Flayer seemed to cry out before all of the Demodogs dropped dead.

            The second was Terry Ives. The woman had her own power hidden deeper than any of them believed possible. Steve wondered for a brief moment if El would one day be this strong. Terry’s power wrapped around them in a protective wave as Seven collapsed at Steve’s side.

            “You will not hurt my daughter, or these people, ever again,” Terry’s voice was chilling before she finally released all of that power.

            Steve blacked out as the wave of pure, raw power, knocked everyone off their feet.

\-----------------------------

            The effort killed her. Terry Ives died doing everything in her power to lock the Mind-Flayer away forever, maybe even kill it. There were a lot of town meetings after that day. The first was to determine a grave plot. Thankfully, Doctor Owens came up with some believable cover story with the help of Murray Bauman, but the casualties were in Hawkins control. The casualties weren’t as high as the group feared, and many people had managed to escape to Hopper’s safe houses with Steve’s message. They ended up having one giant funeral where everyone helped to bury those lost. It was a mucky day, but no one cared if their clothes were ruined.

            The second town meeting came at Doctor Owens request. He wanted to reopen Hawkins Lab as an observation sight. The public outside Hawkins would believe it was a waste management team, while those in Hawkins would know it to be a way to make sure the Upside Down never came back. It was a unanimous vote of “yes” by the third day of discussing it.

            There were several other meetings after that, but Steve just sort of blocked those out. His own scars would never go away, though he and Tommy joked about being twins. But Steve fell into a depression after waking up in the hospital, like part of him was upset he wasn’t dead. The only time he wasn’t in his depression was when someone he loved was nearby. Like his kids, or Tommy, or Carol, or Karen, or Seven. They noticed too, and they tried to stay close.

            “Things will get better,” Doctor Owens was telling Steve’s gang, plus Murray Bauman and Chief Powell, though both were sort of part of the group. “They won’t be the same, but they will get better.”

            “This town needs a little change,” Karen hummed. “Something to bring us closer.”

            “I wish the others could see us,” Holly sighed.

            Holly had very much taken after her older siblings, and Karen had proven where they had gotten it from. While Terry Ives and Seven were fighting the Mind-Flayer; Karen, Erica, Shawn, Casey, Holly, Lev, and Bauman had all run off to create a diversion by dragging bloodied dead bodies into a pile and adding bits of their own blood. Many of the Demodogs had been attracted to the sudden scent of fresh and old blood. They set fire to it too.

            “They’d be proud,” Steve smiled as he ruffled her hair. “Though I would really like it if you didn’t make it a habit.”

            The kids snickered at him, but even Karen seemed amused.

            “I’m actually hoping you can help,” Doctor Owens cleared his throat nervously. “I fear this isn’t over.”

            “I don’t think it will ever be over,” Steve sighed, turning to look at the old man. “But that isn’t what you mean.”

            Doctor Owens shook his head. “Terry and Seven may have damaged it, but it isn’t gone. We’ve already got two reports of stray, loopy Demodogs outside of Indiana. I think that the power had a slight backlash that opened portals in other places by accident.”

            “But the Mind-Flayer is brain-dead,” Bauman continued, a bottle of vodka in hand. “So it can’t cause any major damage. Still, it would probably be best to close the portals before that thing recovers.”

            “We were hoping we could hire you,” Doctor Owens motioned to Steve, Seven, Carol, and Tommy, “as a type of clean-up crew. Leaders of teams that would go out and destroy the portals and take care of threats. We’re already using dead Demodog carcasses to create better weapons.”

            “It would be fun,” Bauman toasted them before sipping his beverage.

\-----------------------

            A few months later had most of Hawkins crowded once more in the library as Tommy and Carol slow danced. The wedding had been amazing, and the two looked beyond happy in each other’s embrace. The only thing missing was Kaya, but her picture was placed on the table in front of the seat for the maid of honor. It was something that seemed to bring peace to everyone as they watched something _good_ happen for once.

            And the second the slow song was over, there was pop playing and everyone was dashing for the dance floor. Steve stayed to the side, still in a little too much pain from his injuries. Bauman joined him a few minutes into the third song of the night.

            “Well, Steve,” Bauman grinned. “Guess this is goodbye.”

            “Already?” Steve frowned at the man.

            “Yep,” Bauman was grinning like the mad man he pretended to be. “Got to head out and check the world. You never know what we might miss.”

            Steve chuckled back, tiredly. “Then I wish you luck.”

            “Yeah,” Bauman patted Steve on the back. “Oh! And if you ever see those friends of yours again, tell them that we do indeed _love Steve._ ”

            Bauman was gone before Steve could ask what that meant. It didn’t matter because Karen was suddenly handing him a plate of food with a frown. Kaya may not have been around anymore, but Karen had stepped up to make sure Steve took care of himself. Steve was beyond grateful as he Casey dragged him to the dance floor.

            And in that moment, Steve wasn’t alone.

\--------------------------------

            Steve found himself frowning at them as he buttoned his shirt. This was what he feared more than anything. How had the shower made him forget the people downstairs?

            “I’m sorry,” Steve sighed. “But I can’t tell you.”

            “Yes you can,” Hopper growled with that look that meant no one could argue. “We are just as much a part of this as you are.”

            The other’s nodded. Joyce, Jonathan, Nancy, Mike, Will, El, Lucas, Dustin, and Max all nodded their agreement with Hopper. But Steve wasn’t moved.

            “Are you, Jim?” he bit out. “Because the last I checked, you all left.”

            And that made even Steve wince. He had never called Hopper “Jim” before. It was almost an insult having gotten so used to saying “Hop” or “Hopper”. But every last word was true. They weren’t involved anymore, and Doctor Owens had made it clear that no one who wasn’t already involved those three years ago could know about what _really happened._

            Nine years since the gate was closed. Eight years since Nancy and Jonathan left. Four years since the rest left. And it had been Three years since the day Terry Ives and Seven destroyed the Upside Down. They weren’t apart of this anymore. Steve couldn’t tell them _anything._

            Thank goodness for Karen Wheeler and her fabulous dinner though. Because even if they weren’t involved, Steve still cared about them and wanted to know more about them.


End file.
